


A Happy Huntress Book 2

by theBastardArc77



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:13:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theBastardArc77/pseuds/theBastardArc77
Summary: Fiona, as well as the others, must mourn their loss of a great friend and lover, but they must evacuate Mantle before Salem arrives, but things won't be that simple as Ironwood and Salem are moving along with their plans...
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Fiona Thyme, Mercury Black & Emerald Sustrai
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Crocea Mors

The Bullhead flew quickly back to where Jaune and Tyrian had their fight, and as they flew everyone was scared. Scared to find Jaune dead in the snow. Ruby, Ren, Nora, and Fiona knew just how strong Tyrian truly was, however, Jaune was strong in his own right and he was a leader, surely he at least had a plan, the only question now was... did it had work?

"We're here!" Maria cried

Fiona quickly opened the side doors of the bullhead and looked out and jumped out of the bullhead with everyone's shock.

"Fi!" Cried Joanna

She was then followed by Nora and Ren

"Guys!" Ruby called out

The three landed and looked around. Fiona smelled the air and followed his scent with Ren and Nora behind her. She then saw where the scent had stopped. The edge of the crater and near it was Jaune's shield. Fiona was in disbelief, and she prayed to all the gods that ever existed that she was wrong. Ren and Nora saw where she stopped and they too, hoped that she was wrong

"Well if it isn't the _*hrk*_... the little Lamb"

The three turned around only to see Tyrian Callows, sat against a large rock with a gaping wound in his side bleeding from it. Jaune's sword, Crocea Mors, was just a few feet away from him stained with blood and in the snow. Ren was the first to move and walk towards Tyrian and kneeled and grabbed the Faunus by the sides of his clothes.

"What happened to him!?" Ren yelled

"Ren stop!" Nora cried out

"You better tell me the truth or I swear by the brothers I'll finish what Jaune started!" Ren yelled

Tyrian chuckled and coughed as blood dripped from his mouth and he looked at them

"He got me... but I got him," Tyrian said with a smile "He fell..." Tyrian said

The three's fear of what had happened to their friend was now true. Ren, feeling nothing but rage, pulled out his gun and was about to finish off Tyrian, however, before he could a bolt had embedded itself into the man's skull killing him. Ren was shocked and turned to Fiona, who had her weapon drawn and her crossbow was still aimed at Tyrian. Ren had noticed the tears in her eyes and he holstered his gun and looked at both Nora and Fiona.

"Let's... Let's go" Ren said "We leave him for the Grimm"

Nora nodded and Fiona turned around and walked to the crater and picked up his shield and turned it back into a sheath. Knowing what she was doing and having the same idea, Ren picked up Jaune's sword and wiped the blood off just as Fiona walking toward him and handed him the Sheath, he took it sheathed the sword, before handing it to Fiona. Fiona looked at him with a bit of confusion.

"I think you should hold onto it for now..." Ren told her "When this is all over and if we make it out... we'll return the sword to his sister in Argus"

Fiona looked at him and sniffled and wiped the tears in her eyes and nodded.

Just then they heard the others coming and turned to see Ruby, Penny, Weiss, and Yang run to them and they stopped as they saw the sad and grim looks on the three's faces. It was at this point that Ruby fell to her knees and began to cry with the other three girls comforting her, and as Ruby cried, Fiona let the tears fall as did Nora and Ren turned to her and held her tight as tears slowly fell from his face as well.

Jaune Arc was Gone...


	2. Arc of Thyme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salem makes her first move, wanting to find her two other assets while our hereos figure out what they need to do, but they are divided on what is the right choice...

Neo was currently still in the throne room within the whale. She looked to her scroll once again, noticing Jaune wasn't picking up or answering her messages. She became worried, thinking that he might have been caught by Ironwood. So far, Salem was making no moves, only unleashing more Grimm upon the people of Mantle

"Hazel, I have a job for you," Said the queen of Grimm

At this, Neo listened in

"What is it?" Asked the large muscular man, Hazel,

"I need you and the children to look for Tyrian and Watts, neither of them has returned I would at least like to know where they are or what has happened to them," Salem said "Track them using their scroll GPS if you must, but find them"

Hazel nodded, "Let's go" Hazel told Emerald and Mercury

Neo sighed and watched as they left. Neo decided to walk around waiting until she had heard from Jaune or Until Cinder needed her for some odd reason. For now, she would have to wait on Jaune, and hopefully... he wasn't dead yet

* * *

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Meanwhile, back at the Happy Huntresses base, the Huntresses, RWBY, and NR were there and they were trying to form a plan. Fiona, Nora, and Ren were still mourning over Jaune, while the others were arguing.

"What we need to do is get to Amity tower and let the world know what is happening!" Ruby cried

"You think that Ironwood is gonna let that happen, Ruby!?" Yang cried "Atlas will be looking for us! If you forgot, were fugitives now!"

"Look, what we need to do now is get the People of Mantle to safety!" May said "Atlas wants to run and hide fine by me"

"But that's the problem!" Weiss cried "Without the Winter Maiden's powers, Ironwood can get to the Relic and runoff, so he'll be hunting for Penny"

At this May stopped arguing

"So what now?" Blake asked, "Do we save the people here in Mantle, or do we warn the world?"

"We warn everyone," Ruby said "It's the best option"

No one said anything and Ruby was going to assume that everyone was going to go along with her plan.

"So ya just let the people here die?" Fiona spoked up

Ruby looked to her as did everyone else.

Fiona got up from where she was sitting and held Jaune's sword in her hand and looked to Ruby, "Are you really that cold-blooded that you would leave, innocent people, men, women, and children?" Fiona asked "If you want that then go... go warn the world about Salem, but know that if people here die and you could've done something about it... their blood is on your hands"

"I-I-I-"

Fiona didn't even wait for an answer before she moved away and started walking to the front door, before she left, she turned to look at them, "I'm going out there to protect the people I swore to protect because that's my duty, and If any of you want to do the right thing, then I'll be outside, but if you want to follow Red's plan, go ahead, but you'll be abandoning the real mission" Fiona finished and then left out the front door.

Ren moved away from the wall and he went for the front door

"Ren?" Nora called out

Ren didn't look back at her and his hand gripped the handle of the door, "I-If Jaune was here... he would do whatever, to save the people of Mantle... so I'll do the same" Ren said and he left the building

Yang then got up and followed Ren

"Yang, where are you-?"

"I told you, Ruby," Yang said "I told you that if telling Ironwood the truth came to back to bite us... I wouldn't be following any more of your ideas... and leaving people to die... I just can't" Yang said as she left.

Joanna and May also got up and left the room. Leaving, Ruby, Weiss, Penny, Blake, and Nora alone in the House.

Penny looked to her first friend, "Ruby... are you sure this is the right choice?" Penny asked

Ruby looked at her and Ruby had steeled her thoughts and nodded. Ruby knew this was the best course of action. This was the right thing to do. "Yeah... this is the right choice," Ruby said

"We'll follow your lead Ruby," Weiss told her partner

Ruby smiled and they began to form a plan to get back up to Atlas and get to Amity tower and warn the world.

* * *

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**In the next chapter!**

**Oscar comes back!** **Hazel, Mercury, and Emerald find something interesting while searching for Tyrian and Watts!** **Fiona, Ren, and Yang have a heart to heart about their fallen comrade!** **Winter and the Ace-Ops begin to question Ironwood's Actions!**


	3. They who Mourn

**A/N: before we begin I'd like to share something, I absolutely hate how Winter and the Ace-Ops are portrayed. Seriously, just because they are soldiers doesn't mean they are any less human. While we do see them have an internal struggle, they don't act as they do, they don't question anything, they just do. Winter, however, is an exception, since Vol.7 we have seen her have a bit of a moral dilemma with herself since she was chosen to be the next winter maiden and with what's happened in the first half of Volume 8 we see that she is still struggling with right and wrong, however, I don't like that she's the only one being portrayed like that on Ironwoods side. All the Ace-Ops have done is blindly follow orders with hints of questioning their methods, and even then, seconds later, those feelings are just thrown to the side in order to do their jobs, sure they are all dealing with Clover's death differently, But you would think that your boss shooting someone right in front of you would make you question the sudden morality of your superior.**

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* * *

"He...Really shot him" Marrow said

most of the Ace-Ops were stunned as they had just seen Ironwood gun down Councilman Sleet. However, Harriet had looked at him

"There's no time to think about that, right now, we have a job to do," Harriet said

"A job!?" Elm cried "Harriet the general just shot an innocent man! A Councilman no doubt"

Harriet then looked at her teammate, "I'm aware of that, but we can't focus on that, right now our job is to capture the little shits that got away and bring penny back to Ironwood"

"For what? to leave the people in Mantle to their deaths while the people up here float away to safety?" Vine asked "what we would be doing is leaving the people we swore to protect"

"So? the people down there don't matter, it Atlas falls, so does the world," Harriet said

"Do we really know that?" Marrow asked "Even if we won, we stop Salem from attacking, what of the world hears about what we have done? what would they do then?"

"They'd thank us," Harriet said

"They'd hate us," Vine said, "We are leaving innocent people down there to Grimm if word got out that we, protectors of the people, left to run and hide and leave thousand's maybe millions to their death, they'd look at us with disgust, our relationship with Vale and Vacou are already rocky enough, even Mistral hasn't completely trusted us, you really think they'd keep ties with a kingdom that let its own people die?"

Harriet glared at him, "then so be it" She said "Let them cut off ties with the kingdom, it'll be their downfall"

"Oh for fucks sake! are you even listening to yourself!?" Elm cried "You're letting your anger not see the bigger picture!"

"What's going on in here?"

they all stopped and looked to the door only to see Winter Schnee looking at them. She was still in her hospital gown but her arm seemed to be healed

"Are you sure you should be walking around Speacilits Schnee?" Elm asked with concern

"A bit weak in the legs but I'm Fine Elm" Winter replied, "but what's all the commotion about?" Winter asked

No one said anything as they were afraid that Winter might report them to Ironwood, However...

"They've been second-guessing the Generales decisions," Harriet told Winter

Marrow and Elm glared at Harriet for calling them out. They were ready to hear Winter give them a warning or a threat, but no such thing came. In fact, The looked back at her to see that she too seemed to be within deep thought, she was looking at the ground for a few seconds but then she looked back at them

"I'll be honest with you as well, I don't exactly like what we're doing," Winter said

Marrow, Elm, and Vine Looked relieved while Harriet looked pissed

"I joined the Military to do something that wasn't for myself, My job is to protect the people of Atlas... and Mantle," She said, as she eyed Harriet "However... there's nothing we can do now," she said

"Are you sure?" Marrow asked, "Isn't there certain procedures for this that can allow us to stop the Martial Law?"

Winter looked down trying to remember if there was a way to stop General Ironwood from abandoning Mantle, but nothing came to mind. Despite what most believed, she wasn't always agreeing with Ironwood. Winter didn't like the Idea of leaving innocent men, women, and children to their deaths at the had of Salem, Ironwood would've called it a necessary sacrifice, but Winter knew just as much as everyone else, that there didn't have to be such a thing. Winter wanted to find a way to-

"There may be one way to stop all of this, but I will need your help"

"Sure thing, what is it?" Marrow asked

"I need to speak with Qrow Branwen, Robyn Hill... and Arthur Watts" Winter said

* * *

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After gathering everyone they could find, Fiona, Ren, Yang, May, and Joanna had convinced them that staying in the crater, where it would be safe for them. Behind them, Ren and Fiona stood to guard the people, while in front, Yang, Joanna, and May had been leading the people.

Fiona still had Jaune's sword strapped to her side as she walked, Ren could... sense her sadness, he knew why of course. He, Fiona, and Yang had felt a blow to their heart, It was like losing Pyrrha all over again. He looked at her and he thought that maybe, it might have been best to talk to her, let their feelings out.

"How are you holding up?" Ren asked her

"the best as I can," Fiona said "You?"

"About the same, I guess" Ren replied "Jaune was my friend, and he was my leader, but most of all, he was like my brother... back during the fall of Beacon, we lost Pyrrha and all three of us felt as if a part of us went with her, and now that Jaune's gone... it just feels like another part of me is gone"

Fiona nodded, "I feel that way too," she said "I know I didn't know 'im for as long as you or your lover did, but the time that I did spend with 'im... I loved 'im" Fiona told him

Ren nodded, "He loved you too," Ren said "Never said it, but I could tell, I could feel it, you became an important person in his life, so much so that he was willing to risk everything for you"

"You really think so?" Fiona asked

"Trust me, every time he was around you I saw a look in his eyes that I haven't seen since back at Beacon..." Ren said "You made him happier then I've seen him in a while"

Fiona smiled softly, "thank you for that, Ren" Fiona said

Ren just smiled back at her, "It's no problem, After all, I think your one of us now" Ren said "A new member of the JNPR family"

Fiona smiled, "Again, thank you," Fiona said "we'll Avenge him Ren, and we'll live on for him," Fiona told him

Ren smiled and nodded.

Suddenly, behind them, they heard growling and they quickly turned around to see two Ursa getting up on their hind legs behind them, Fiona and Ren took out their weapons and took defensive stances, however, before one of the Ursa could rush at them, it had fallen down to its feet and then it was hit over the head again, and landing right in front of it was none other than Oscar Pines.

"Oscar!" Ren cried

Ren quickly ran up to his fellow teammate and finished off the Ursa that Oscar had brought down. Fiona quickly ended the other Ursa's life with a bolt to its chin and out its head. Once the two Grimm were dead Ren looked to Oscar

"Where have you been?" Ren asked

"I went to go talk to Ironwood, but he attacked me, I managed to escape thought and I found a way down here and went to look for you guys, but when I didn't find you at the Happy Huntresses Place I went looking and then saw you guys with the townsfolk and then saw that two Ursa approach you and try to attack" Oscar replied

Ren smiled, "Well thanks for the help," Ren said "it's good to see you again," He said

"It really is lad," Fiona told him

Oscar smiled a little and then looked at Ren, "where's everyone else?" Oscar asked

"Yang, May, and Joanna are up in the front making sure it's safe to the crater, Nora, Ruby, Weiss, Penny, and Blake are heading back up to Atlas to do the Amity project," Ren told him

Oscar nodded, "Wait, what about Jaune?" Oscar asked

At this Ren's smiled faltered and as he looked to the ground, "Jaune's... gone" Ren said

Oscar's eyes went wide with shock, "w-what?"

"He fought Tyrian by himself, and manage to kill him as well, but Tyrian gave him a beating and he fell down into the mine hole," Fiona said with a saddened tone "he's dead"

* * *

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From a small ship, which slowly landed just outside the southern wall of Mantle, Hazel, Emerald, And Mercury had arrived outside of the City of Mantle. Hazel looked to his scroll and saw two blinking dots on the screen.

"So, where are those two?" Mercury asked

"Watts seems to be up in Atlas, specifically in Atlas Military base," Hazel said "So at least we know where he is, we just can't get to him

"And Tyrian?" Mercury asked again

Hazel looked back to his scroll and saw Tyrians dot down in the mines. Hazel looked on in confusion but he pocketed his scroll and looked at the two, "Tyrian's down in the mines" Hazel said

"Is he dead?" Emerald asked

Hazel shrugged, "I doubt it, but even if he is, We need to look and let Salem know," Hazel said "Let's go," He told them as he headed back to the ship

The two looked at each other and then followed Hazel back to the ship. They took off and headed to Tyrian's Location, which seemed to be in the Mine under Atlas. What he was doing there was anyone's guess, however, it still confused the hell out of Hazel

_'why would he be down there?'_ Hazel thought _'is he really dead or is he doing something else down there?'_

* * *

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**In The Next Chapter!**

**Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel find someone... but it's not Tyrian**

**Salem Makes her move and sends a new enemy out onto Mantle**

**Winter plans something Major**

**Ruby and the others are in for a shock!**

**Neo Makes her move as well, and Cinder is suspicious...**


	4. Trust?

Hazel, Mercury, and Emerald slowly hovered the ship down into the mines and once they were securely in a good place to land, they did so. They landed near Tyrian's scroll's signal and they got out and went to look for Tyrian.

Hazel turned to the two young adults, "Tyrian's signal seems to be just up ahead, let's go"

The three began to walk forward and headed toward one of the pit's walls. So far, no Grimm or any person was around, and the lonely wind that blew into the pit made it cold and gave it a sickening silence that sent shivers even down Hazel's spine. They continued to walk and finally arrived at the pit's wall where the signal was coming from and Hazel stopped as did Emerald and Mercury

"He should be around here some" Hazel said

He looked around the somewhat dim pit, as he looked he noticed something large and pure white on the ground, and he signaled the two to wait right there as he walked over to what he had seen.

As he got closer, he noticed the figure had white and gold Armor and that his hair was blonde, Hazel recognized him as the young blonde man that charged at Cinder back in Mistral. He questioned what he was doing down here where Tyrian was supposed to be, Hazel then slowly started to realize something, he looked to his scroll and taped on Tyrian's contact info and called him, just then he could hear something vibrate on the boy, he bent down and when he did, he heard the vibration coming from the boy's pant's pocket, and with that now confirmed that he had Tyrian's Scroll, he ended the call and realized what it all meant.

Tyrian was dead, but what confused him a little was why did he leave his scroll with the boy?

Hazel then felt the boy's neck for a pulse and he could feel one, it shocked him that the boy was somehow alive, hanging on by a thread, but none the less he was alive. Hazel needed answers, and since the boy was still alive, he was gonna get some from the boy...

Meanwhile, back in the Whale, Salem took the Relic of Knowledge as Cinder and Neo followed behind her.

She stopped at a large pod, which was huge, and she stopped right in front of it with Cinder and Neo looking a bit in awe

"What is that?" Cinder asked

"That my dear Cinder is one of my greatest creations," Salem told her, she then looked to the Relic, "I have questions for you..."

As she said that, the pod began to open and a figure slowly made its way out of the pod and sniffed the Relic

"But first... I need the one who can show me how" Salem said

Finally, the figure was revealed as it stepped out of the pod. Cinder's face was stone cold but Neo's showed horror, she had never seen anything like it. The Figure was as tall as Hazel, it looked like it was covered in tar from head to toe, and all that was on it was the bones on its face that covered everything but the mouth and nose, it stood on four legs and its ears resembled that of a Dobermann

Salem then held out the Relic and the new Grimm smelled it and then backed up and Salem smiled as she knew it already had the sent

"Bring him to me" She ordered

The Grimm howled and ran out of the room and Neo watched in horror as it left, and she felt pity for whoever it had left to capture. Cinder then looked back to Salem

"A new Grimm?" She asked

Salem nodded, "My hound" Salem replied "A Grimm I created using a new means," Salem said

"Like what?" Cinder asked

Salem smiled, "I think that's all you need to know, for now, you will stay and rest here, understood?"

Cinder glared a little but reluctantly nodded and Salem continued to smile before returning to the throne room. With that, Cinder and Neo left the throne room, but she reminded herself to text Jaune about the new horrifying threat that was most likely on it's way to Mantle or Atlas. But she couldn't do it here, not yet, not with Cinder next to her.

However, Cinder herself was worried about other things... specifically, Ruby. She knew that she and her little friends were up to something, and she would stop them, despite the orders of Salem.

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Winter entered the prison room where Qrow, Robin, Jacques, and Watts. Qrow saw her and then looked down. To Winter, it was quite a surprise, when she looked at him, gone was the man she had once known, she knew he was trying to change for the better but, now, he was accused of killing Clover, Something she knew just wasn't possible for a list of reasons, Qrow wouldn't kill his friends and that's what Clover was.

"Why are we here?" Harriet asked

Winter looked at her, "There's something from Qrow I need to know" Winter said

Winter walked over to Qrow's little cell and kneeled down and looked at him, but all he could look at was Clover's pin that he had in his hands

"Qrow" She called out "Qrow look at me"

Qrow slowly raised his head and looked at Winter with somewhat empty eyes. Winter could not even stand seeing him in such a state.

"Did you kill Clover?" She asked

Qrow kept eye contact with her and shook his head, "No..." he said

Winter looked at him and nodded, "that's all I needed to hear" She said

She got up and walked out of the room with the Ace-Ops behind her. As soon as they left the room Harriet looked to Winter with a bit of anger in her eyes

"What the hell was that about?" She asked

"Qrow was telling the truth," Winter said

"What?" Harriet cried "That's bullshit!"

Winter turned to Harriet and looked at her, "Bullshit?" Winter questioned "I've known that man longer than you have Bree, so don't think he's some kind of murder, he's not, Qrow Branwen would never kill a friend that man is trying to better himself since I've seen him get here, I use to know him as some drunk with a massive ego and when I saw him come to Atlas, not once had he touched a glass of alcohol or even make some remark on me or any of us and when I looked into his eyes, I saw a man who was broken after he had just tried to better himself, and I saw the pain in his eyes," Winter said

Harriet still glared at Winter and Winter just glared right back

"Your anger gets the best of you Bree, open your eyes and see what's really going on, and don't follow others blindly," Winter said "Take it from someone with experience"

Winter walked away from them and walked the rest of the way to her room. As she walked, she planned her next move carefully, right now, the job of the Ace-Ops was to capture Penny, but Winter couldn't let that happen. If there was a single, actual human being on this godforsaken floating rock... it was Penny.

Winter knew what she needed to do, however, she just needed people she could trust, but the question was who? Not many people are willing to go against Ironwood. She needed to find out who could be trusted and what soldiers were willing to possibly go down as traitors to Atlas

Specialist Winter Schnee of the Atlas Military was going to commit treason against General James Ironwood.

If the coup went well, Marshal law would be released and the Atlas military can do its sworn duty to protect the people of Atlas and Mantle. If it failed, she faced execution and the branding of a traitor.

Was the risk worth it? She wouldn't know until the end.

* * *

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As they made it up to Atlas and snuck around. Nora, who hasn't even spoken the entire trip looked to Blake

"Hey, Blake?" Nora asked

Blake turned to Nora, "Yeah?"

"Do you think I made the right call?" Nora asked

"What?" Blake asked

"Do you think Ren's mad at me, because I left him down there to do this?" Nora asked, "And Jaune, do you think if he was here he'd be disappointed in me?"

Blake looked at her and could see the self-doubt written on her face. Truth be told, Blake herself didn't even know it was the right choice, but it was the choice she had made and it was the one she was going to live with.

"Nora, I do think that Ren's mad, but right now, I'm sure he's thinking the same thing, but when this is all over, we just have to see," Blake said "And as for Jaune... I'll be honest Nora, I think he might've been disappointed in you, but you made your choice and he still would have accepted it even if he was disappointed in your actions"

Nora looked away from blake before looking to the ground. She knew that Blake was right and she knew that Jaune would be disappointed in her actions, but he would still be grateful that she at least would make it out in one piece.

"We're supposed to stick togethor... we keep each other safe"

Those words that Jaune spoke back in Mistral resinated in her mind and heart.

She had always believed that team JNPR could do anything. Then Pyrrha died and a piece of them all went with her, and for a while, they all lost their way, all of them hurt, but none so more than Jaune, yet he still tried to be the leader that JNPR needed, he put on a brave face and did what needed to be done, and was even willing to die for them.

Jaune was like the brother she never had, he was the person she had trusted her life with and the person he would follow no matter what.

They were always supposed to be team JNPR... but now?

Team JNPR was no more, she knew it. JNPR was dead and today was the day it had died. it had almost died with Pyrrha, and now with Jaune's death and Nora and Ren going their somewhat separate ways... JNPR was dead.

"Stop!" Ruby cried out

Everyone stopped and Nora was taken out of her thoughts as she looked to Ruby, she was holding her scroll

"What is it Ruby?" Weiss asked

"It's a message..." Ruby replied

"From who?" Penny asked

Ruby looked to them with shock written on her face, "...From Jaune"

* * *

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**Next Chapter!**

**The Dead speak to Ruby and Co!?**

**The Hunt for Oscar begins!**

**The Blond Boy lives to tell a tale...**


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